Complicated ✔

Ch. 17 - Carl

KATHRYN'S POV

I stayed outside well after Lori got here, just sitting by myself out on the Greene's front porch as I watched for Shane and Otis to come back. "Hey," I heard a voice say as the sound of the screen door opening brought me out of my thoughts of whether or not they'd make it back in time. "Hey," I said looking over towards Maggie who had walked out the door. "Made you some tea," she said handing me a cup with a smile. "Thanks Maggie," I said taking it from her before taking a sip from the drink. "How's your shoulder," she asked sitting on the railing in front of me, "and your leg?" "My leg's fine," I said smiling, "but my shoulder hurts. Guess that's to be expected, huh?" "I can talk to Dad in a bit," she said standing up, "see if we've got any painkillers for you." "Thanks," I said smiling and nodding as she turned and went back inside.

I could hear Dad and Lori talking in Carl's room, talking about whether Shane would be back in time. Dad started telling her that story about Shane from when they were in high school, when he stole the principle's car. Maggie had come back out some time later, sitting off to the side on the other side of their porch while I stayed in my rocker I was currently occupying. I lifted up my injured leg, careful not to pop any of the stitches on it, and wrapped my arm around my knee as I used my other foot to gently rock me back and forth as my head laid back against the back of the chair and I closed my eyes and just listened to the silence around me. It wasn't quiet for long before I heard the sound of a car pulling up the drive to the Greene's farm.

GLENN'S POV

Dale told me to bring T-Dog here to the farm house, get his arm looked at. I wanted to stay behind with everyone else, I felt like I was always the one doing something else from the rest. But I guess I couldn't really complain. After hearing Kathryn had been shot with Carl, I was worried about her. Pulling up to the house with T-Dog, we got out and made our way up to the door. "Kathryn," I said when I found her smiling face sitting on a rocker on the front porch, "you're alright." "Don't tell me you were worried about me," she said as she stood up to greet me when I ran over to her and hugged her, "careful of my shoulder please." I pulled away quickly and looked at her shoulder before I heard another girl's voice speak up.

"Did you close the gate up the road when you drove in," she asked causing me, T-Dog, and Kathryn to look over at her where she sat on another chair in the shadows of the house. "Uh hi," I said looking to Kathryn the back to the girl from before, "yes. We closed it. Did the latch and everything." I glanced at Kathryn before looking back to the girl as she sat forwards in the seat, placing her feet on the ground and she smiled over at the three of us. "Hello," I said, "nice to see you again." "Look we came to help," T-Dog said, "there anything we can do?" I watched as she stood up before glancing at T-Dog's arm. "It's not a bite," he said, "cut myself pretty bad thought." "We'll have it looked at," she said walking by us, "I'll tell them you're here."

"We have some painkillers and antibiotics," I said digging through my pack where I had placed the medicine the Daryl gave me back on the highway, "I already gave him some. If Carl needs any, or Kathryn." I glanced over at Kathryn as I said that, seeing her hold her hand out for the bottle in my hand that had the pills. She popped it open and took a pill dry before handing the bottle back to me just as the girl spoke again. "C'mon inside," she said, "I'll make you something to eat." I let Kathryn go first before T-Dog and I followed behind her, only to stop in a room where Rick, Lori, Carl, some other woman, and an older man were. I looked over at Kathryn to see she was fighting back tears as she stared down at her little brother. I placed my hand lightly on her back, rubbing gentle circles there as she looked over at me and smiled weakly before looking back to Carl.

KATHRYN'S POV

I was grateful to have Glenn here now, I could use a friend while I worried about my brother. "Hey," Glenn spoke softly to Dad and Lori, causing Dad to look up and over at him. "Hey," Dad said as he looked at us standing in the doorway to Carl's room. "Um," he said as the soothing movement of his hand stopped, "we're here, okay?" "Thank you," Lori said looking up at him and nodding. They started to walk out when Glenn looked back at me where I still stood. "I'll be there in a second," I said as he looked at me and nodded once before following Maggie and T-Dog from the room. I looked back to my brother's unconscious form as I watched Hershel pull back the blanket and take a look at his stomach. "If they don't get back soon," he said looking to Dad and Lori, "we're going to have a decision to make." "And what decision would that be," I asked taking a step forwards and looking at him.